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Parents urge District 49 to use DoDEA funds to support dual-language immersion students
Summary
Public commenter Emily Kennedy told the board DoDEA-linked grants have unspent balances and urged District 49 to use remaining funds to provide meaningful Spanish supports for current DLI students; the superintendent said DoDEA sets monitoring requirements and the district has engaged with DoDEA on acceptable alternatives.
At the start of the meeting a parent, Emily Kennedy, urged District 49 to ensure current dual-language immersion students at Stetson Elementary receive continuing Spanish supports after the program's closure.
Kennedy said she obtained CORA records showing that as of December 2025 nearly $1,000,000 in grant funds remained and that the OWL Fund allocation for 2026–27 had a remaining balance of over $900,000 as of March 2, 2026; she said at an "absolute minimum" $192,000 remained unallocated and asked the board to step in because school administration had told her the only confirmed Spanish enrichment would be participation in Spanish specials with the general population.
"The documentation proves it is imperative that D 49 remain in good standing with DoDEA," Kennedy said, adding that a DoDEA representative, Christie, wanted follow-through for students who had been in the DLI program.
Board members later raised the topic during miscellaneous reports and asked how DoDEA funds would be spent. The superintendent said DoDEA provides grant money and establishes evaluation and monitoring expectations; the district has been in repeated communication with DoDEA, has submitted required evaluation materials, and DoDEA has suggested acceptable ways to meet program goals. He said some suggested strategies (for example, after-school Spanish clubs) have had low interest and that staffing and scheduling constraints shape options. "DoDEA is providing the grant money and then they're signing off on the processes," the superintendent said, and the district has proposed alternatives and been in dialogue with DoDEA.
Board members asked for clearer next steps and the superintendent said principals and zone leadership have been open to suggestions and that the district would continue to pursue solutions that meet DoDEA's expectations.
The meeting record does not contain a detailed line-item accounting in response to Kennedy's figures; the board and superintendent described ongoing coordination with DoDEA but did not provide a specific reallocation plan on the record.
